Apparatus for vessels



(No Model.) I w. H. HOOKER.

EIGHT SUPPORTING ABPARATUSFOR VESS-ELS. No. 357,709. Patented Feb. 15,1887

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UNITEB STATES PATENT trio.

WILLIAM H. HOOKER, oF'JERsnY CITY, new JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 357,709, dated February 15, 1887. Application filed December 14, 1866. Serial No. 221,565. (No model.)

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HOOKER, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Light-Supporting Apparatus for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

Although my invention may be employed for supporting lights upon any mast or pole of a vessel or ship, the invention is more particularly intended for supporting lights upon the flag-pole of a steam-vessel or tug-boat which is employed in towing.

The statutory requirements of the United States for a steam vessel or tug towing other vessels are that the steam vessel or tug when having a, tow attached shall carry two lights upon the flag staff or pole, one not less than two and a half (2%) feet or thereabout, below.

the other. These lights are ordinarily lanterns which-are raised by ropes or lanyards, and there is a liability of neglect to hoist the two lights when necessary, and to withdraw or lower the lower light when the tow is detached.

An important object of my invention is to provide a means for more readily lowering and raising the light or lights of a vessel, and to also provide a means whereby the pilot or other authorized person can control the exposure of the light or lights from any point as, for example, the pilot-house.

In carrying out my invention I employ for supporting the lantern or lanterns a sliding frame which is movable vertically along a mast or pole, and which is preferably constructed to slide upon a guiding rod or pipe extending approximately parallel with the mast or pole. One advantage of this construction is that if a single light be employed it may be raised to a position above the top of the mast or pole, and if two lights, one below the other, be attached to the sliding frame, they will always be in proper relation to each other. I employ in connection with the slid ing frame movable along themast or pole, when such frame is provided with two lights or lanterns, a shield or screen movable upon the sliding frame, or relatively to the lower lantern, and which may be adjusted so as to conceal or expose the light of the lower lantern. The shield or screen may be automatically moved in one direction along the sliding frame by a spring or weight, and it may be moved in the other direction by a lanyard or connection leading to the foot of the mast or pole, or to the pilot-house or other part of the vessel. For example, the screen or shield may be raised automatically by a spring, so as to expose the lower light, and may be drawn down, whenever desired, bya cord or connection leading to the pilot-house or other part of the vessel.

The invention consists in novel combinations of parts, hereinabove referred to and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the upper portion of a mast or flag-pole and a sliding frame provided with upper and lower lights and embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the extreme upper portion of the mast or pole and sliding frame upon a larger scale than Fig. l; and Fig.3 is a horizontal section upon the plane of the dotted line 00 00, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A designates a mast or flag-pole upon a vessel, and along which a light or lights, usually consisting of a lantern or lanterns, are to be raised and lowered. I have here shown an upper lantern, B, and a lower lantern, B, which are supported by a frame constructed to slide along the mast, and which are held at a distance apart to comply with the statutory requirements for steam vessels or tugs having attached tows.

As here represented, the sliding frame consists of an upright rod or pipe, B and upper and lower brackets or frames, B B, which are constructed in a suitable manner to support the lanterns B B, and which are rigidly connected with the rod or pipe B In this example of my invention the sliding frame B B B is not guided directly upon the mast or pole A, but is guided upon the rod, tube, or pipe 0, which extends approximately parallel with the mast or pole. The upper and lower brackets or portions of the sliding frame,

B B, are in this example of my invention.

constructed with sockets or eyes b, which em brace the rod or pipe 0, and between the rod or pipe 0 and the mast or pole A, I have shown a rib or bar, A, which may be composed of a'flat piece of iron, and the sockets or eyes b each have a gap, b, which receives the rib or bar A, as shown in Fig. 3. By this construction the sliding frame carrying the lights or lanterns is adapted to slide upward and downward along the rod or'pipe O, and is prevented from turning thereon. The lantern-support of the upper bracket, B is above the socket I), which fits the rod or pipe, and the lantern thereon has its light exposed above the top of the mast or pole A.

At the upper end of the rod or pipe 0 is a pulley or sheave casing, 0, within which is journaled a pulley or sheave, C and the sliding frame carrying the light or lights may be raised or lowered by means of a rope or lanyard, D, which passes over the sheave or pulley O and is attached to the upper portion of the sliding frame, as shown at c. This rope or lanyard D may lead to the bottom of the mast or pole A, and by it the sliding frame carrying the lights arranged at a proper distance one above the other may be raised or lowered.

It is desirable to provide means for holding the light-carrying frame in its elevated position, and for this purpose I have represented a hook or catch, E, pivoted at c to the upper portion of the guide 0 or its surmount-ing sheave-frame C, and adapted to engage a pin, 0, upon the upper portion of the sliding frame. The hook E has an inclined or tapered nose, e", and when the sliding frame is raised the hook will be pushed aside by the pin 0, and after the pin rises above the shoulder of the hook the hook will drop back into engagement with the pin 0. A spring, 0, may be used, as in Fig. 2, to return the hook.

F designates a lanyard for raising and lowering a flag upon the pole A, and which passes over a pulley or truck, f, at the head of the pole A. The portion of this rope or lanyard F which is on the inner side of the pole A passes through an eye, 0 in the hook D, and then through an eye, 0 upon the pole A. If it be desired to lower the sliding light-carrying frame, all that is necessary is to first pull upon the lanyard D to slightly raise the frame out of the shoulder or beak of the hook E and to then pull upon the lanyard F, so as to draw it in a more direct line between the eye 0 and the truck-roll f. This will pull the hook E back, so that the pin 0 may pass downward clear of the hook and thus the sliding frame may be lowered.

In order to additionally steady the sliding frame and prevent it from turning when raised, I have represented the upper portion of the rod or pipe B as prolonged above the upper bracket, B as shown at I), and such upwardlyprojecting portion, when the sliding frame is raised, enters a taper socket or hold-fast, 0, upon the sheave or pulley-frame C, as is best shown in Fig. 2.

In order to conceal or expose the lower light, B, as may be desired, I employ a screen or shield, H, which is tubular or eylindric and of a sufficient size to loosely embrace the lantern B, as shown in Fig. 1. This screen or shield H has attached sockets 71 which fit the rod or pipe B of the sliding frame, and are adapted to slide thereon independent of any movement of the frame. The screen or shield H may therefore be raised into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to expose the lower light, 13, or may be lowered to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, so as to conceal or obscure said lower light. As here represented, the screen or shield H is raised or moved in one direction automatically by the spring It, surrounding the rod or pipe B, as shown in Fig. 1, and is drawn downward in a direction to compress the spring h by rods h", to which a cord or lanyard, h, is attached, as also shown in Fig. 1.

As long as the vessel is pulling a tow the screen or shield H may be left in its elevated position, where it is supported by the spring h, so as to expose the lower light, 13; but as soon as the towis dropped the screen or shield H may be pulled down by the rope or lanyard it, so as to conceal or obscure the lowerlight, B, and thus indicate that the vessel no longer has a tow. The rope or lanyard h may lead simply to the bottom of the mast or pole A, or may be conducted to any distant point of the vesselas, for example, the pilothouse.

By the term lantern, as used in this speci fication and claims, I desire to include any protected lights which may be employed.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a ships mast or pole, of a sliding frame for supporting two lanterns, one above another, movable along the mast or pole, and a screen for the lower lantern sliding relatively thereto to conceal or expose the light of said lower lantern, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with a ships mast or pole, of a sliding frame for supporting two lanterns, one above another, movable along the mast or pole, and a screen for concealing the light of the lower lantern, movable relatively to the lower lantern in one direction automatically, and a cord or connection whereby the screen may be moved in a reverse direction, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with a ships mast or pole and a guiding rod or pipe in fixed position approximately parallel thereto, of asliding frame movable on the said guide and constructed with a lantern -support above the portions of the frame which are fitted to said guide, whereby the lantern may be so supported as to, be lifted above the top of the mast or pole when the sliding frame is raised to its fullest height, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with a guiding rod or IIO pipe to be secured to a ships mast or pole, of a sliding frame movable upward and downward on said rod or pipe and constructed for the attachment of a lantern,and a holdfast into which the upper portion of the sliding frame moves when raised, and by which the frame is steadied and prevented from turning on the rod or pipe, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with the guiding rod or pipe 0, havingthe rib A at the back, of the sliding lantern-supporting frame having sockets b fitting said rod or pipe and guided and prevented from turning by the rod or pipe and rib,substantial1y as herein described.

6. The combination, with a guiding rod or pipe to be secured to a ships mast or pole, of a sliding lantern-supporting frame on the rod or pipe, an automatic catch for engaging the sliding frame when the latter is raised to its topmost position, and a connection whereby the frame may be released from the catch when it is desired to lowerit, substantially as herein described.

7. The combination, with a ships mast or pole and a guiding rod or pipe, 0, fixed approximately parallel therewith, of a sliding lanternsupporting frame movable on said rod or pipe, a screen, H, movable on said frame for concealing or exposing the lower lantern, and connections whereby the screen may be moved from a distant point, such as thepilothouse, substantially as herein described.

WM. H. HOOKER.

Wi tnesses:

HALL, FREDK. HAYNES. 

